The Art + Science of Sourdough

April 15, 2018

Amanda gave me a sourdough mother a little over a year ago and I was immediately spellbound by the fermented magic. The mother came with a great story too: started in Bethel, Alaska during the Gold Rush by her friend’s great grandma. Fed and shared and tended to for over 100 years.

I bought books and overwhelmed myself with google searches. I made many (many!) unsuccessful loaves that we ate anyway. One day I shared a video on instagram that showed me sweating my way through kneading a dry, dense dough announcing my skepticism in achieving a “smooth and pliable” result. My friend who is an expert baker happened to see me wrestling with that dough at 9pm. Selden knocked on my door 15 minutes later with a book to read, a method to try and my favorite words of encouragement on my bread making journey, still to this day:

It’s still bread.

He said it when seeing my loaf that resembled a river rock and would make a decent bowling ball. It’s so true. Still made with love, still full of nutrition, still bread. I think about it all the time now when I over proof or neglect the starter or any of the million ways we can do a thing wrong and feel like it’s over. It’s not. Just different. Still bread.

That knock on the door, that book, that method was exactly what I kneaded (har!). I dorked out on the science and started fresh the next day making a loaf I was proud of on my first/fiftieth try.

My first decent loaf / February 2017

Since then, I’ve grown to love making my family’s bread. The ritual, the nutrition, the self-sufficiency, the art, the science, the lore. It’s my favorite chore and I love sharing my loves.

In sharing my bread journey, I’ve been asked for recipes and direction that I haven’t felt comfortable giving because I myself am a student and relatively green one. But then I realized that might make me what feels accessible to people. I get it: this process can feel intimidating! The terminology, wizardry and equipment like an exclusive club. But it’s just not. There’s room for us all and we can all make beautiful bread with our hands in our kitchens.

So I decided it’d be fun to to host a workshop! But of course!, as the newbie, not alone. I invited my dear friend Kara to join me. She has 20 years of bread baking experience, both professionally and personally. She bakes up beautiful loaves, shares her knowledge and passion with gentle patience and is just all around one of my favorite humans. Yours too.

Together we were the major league and minor league, varsity and JV, expert and amateur — but aside from/within those credentials, we were and are two mamas who love making bread and sharing the craft with others.

The Art + Science of Sourdough happened yesterday and it went so well. We’re already talking about doing the next one and dreaming up an online version too…I still can’t wrap my mind around how to make that happen but I really love your requests for it and am working on it!

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7 Comments

If anyone is looking for non-sourdough – I’ve had really good luck using the recipe in Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day. While the title sounds a bit kitschy – it’s a pretty quick process and it’s forgiving (I always add flax meal and chia seeds to my recipe – just dumping them in, never measuring, and it always turns out ok). It’s a few minutes in a stand mixer, two rises, and then in the oven. The actual hands-on time is minimal. I find that one batch of the stock recipe they recommend is perfect for one sandwich loaf and one pizza dough.

But – I’m going to add Tartine Bread to my library queue 🙂

trbholt

April 16, 2018 at 7:54 AM

What a great experience for all! sign me up for your next class!

xoxo, your Mama

Jill

April 16, 2018 at 3:32 PM

Very interested in your starter! Do you have a recommendation of how/where to obtain a “vintage” starter? I made my own (I think it took a couple of weeks before I could use it). The first loaf of bread was AMAZING. Downhill from there….I could never recreate that first beautiful loaf.

The bread in your photos looks delicious 🙂

Tara

April 17, 2018 at 1:41 AM

I had a lovely bubbly starter…then it died. I need to find a warmer spot in my very cold house for it to live.

Made your soup tonight. Added butternut, broccoli, sad baby marrows. A random mushrooms from the depth of the draw. So good.

Just wanted to take a moment to appreciate your beautiful writing and photos. A favourite stop on my virtual stroll around the block while enjoying my tea xx

Isabelle

April 19, 2018 at 10:18 AM

Hi Nici
Did you ever get my reply to your email? I replied as soon as I got it. Concerning your trip to Switzerland!
Maybe my message went to your spam. If so, I ´m sorry about that!
Kind regards
Isabelle

Kylee Finley

April 21, 2018 at 7:51 AM

Thank you

Sara

April 29, 2018 at 4:58 PM

Oh please, please, please do an online class! Or maybe I should just drive from Colorado to Montana…..

I started baking bread last year using the dutch oven and Mark Bittman’s No Knead Bread recipe from the NYT. It has become one of my favorite hobbies and something I love to do to gift/share with others. I love it so much.